The “Liz Lemon-ini:” Black Bean Hummus Turkey Lemon Cheese Panini

The panini that will make you want to go to there.

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Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that I’m an avid fan of 30 Rock. My response to a situation is, more often than not, “Blerg” or “I want to go to there.” Where most people decorate their homes with inspirational proverbs, I prefer phrases like “Live every week like it’s shark week” and “It okay, don’t be cry.” I frequently toss obscure quotes into conversations, which usually make those a little less familiar with the show (approximately 99% of people) think that I’m either a) a comedic genius or b) straight up insane. I personally like to believe that I’m a little of both.

Photo by Tarika Narain

I could provide hundreds of arguments for why I think 30 Rock is one of the best TV shows of our time. However, I’m pretty sure there are two main factors that contribute to it being my personal favorite, both food-related. One, the twenty-ish minute episodes are the perfect length to pair with any meal, and two, the main character, Liz Lemon, is one of the most avid foodies to ever not exist. Rather than focus on those popular health fads flying around these days (gluten-free-paleo-vegan juice for dinner, anyone?!?), Liz always remains true to the good ol’ junk-food-and-wine, don’t-eat-right-but-eat-a lot diet that’s as good for the soul as it is bad for the body.

Because I idolize Liz Lemon (yes, I have spoken to my therapist about the fact that my number one role model is fictional, thank you for your concern), I took it personally when I saw the flavor Ben & Jerry’s rolled out in her honor. This fruit-flavored Greek yogurt concoction is offensive to everything Liz stands for. In retaliation, I’ve decided to dedicate a much more appropriate recipe to my main gal: the grilled version of Liz’s all-time favorite food (and rightly so), the sandwich.